Friday, April 24, 2015

When the SPRING and SUMMER seasons arrive, there is much activity going on around the farm. . .outside and in. . .and the FARMHOUSE KITCHEN certainly sees its share of baking, canning, and home grown meals. . .With the prospect of it being no different this year, I decided to stock many of the of the necessities close at hand in GIANT CROCKS and GLASS STORAGE JARS. . .

Canning supplies are hidden in the #8 CROCK. . .baking needs and miscellaneous in the others. . .

A huge canister of flour for breads, biscuits, and cakes. . .10 pounds of beans ready for measure. . .to cook with ham or sausage Creole style (Yum). . .I can leave them simmering all morning on the stove while I'm working in the garden or doing other chores. . .so typical of farm ladies over the years. . .

Next week you'll find me in the kitchen. . .canning PUMPKIN BUTTER (Recipe HERE) from the puree I froze last Fall. . .Then a few jars of JAMS (One Recipe HERE). . .(Another Recipe HERE). . .Afterwards followed by SAUERKRAUT (Recipe HERE) with the super bargains of cabbage going on right now. . .Won't be long until we have strawberries. . .I have a new recipe for STRAWBERRY BREAD that I'm dying to try. . .Everything will be at hand now . . .LOVE IT!!!!!

Sunday, April 19, 2015

I have an awesome true story for you today. . .sent to me by my 'adopted' sister who lives in Oklahoma. . .It happened during one of their ice storms. . .I was blown away when I read the letter. . .See if you agree! . .(the name has been changed and the letter is mostly unedited)

"A few weeks ago a co-worker told me a story that probably most people would think was fiction. . .but this is what Anna told me. . .definitely something unearthly happened to her the night of the ice storm. . .She has a worman friend that she talks to on her ride home if she's worried or scared. . .She puts her speaker phone on in the passenger seat. . .Well, it was very icy and sleeting so she called her friend and they were talking the whole trip. . .She came to a big hill and she could tell it was solid ice on a very narrow highway. . .She came to a complete stop and waited while two other cars went around her and down the hill. . .They slid and spun and finally made it but she didn't want to try. . .She was too scared. . .Along came a black pick-up truck that stopped beside her. . .A young man came over and she rolled the window down only about 2" or so. . .He wanted to know if she had trouble. . .She told him she was just scared. . .He told her that she could make it and how to do it. . .He had lived in Alaska before moving here to Oklahoma and knew how. . .for her to stay calm and lightly touch her brakes all the way down. . .He then got in his truck and passed her to the bottom of the hill, where he pulled over and stopped. . .waiting for her. . .So her friend on the phone told her that God had sent that man to come to her rescue and encouraged her to go ahead. . .so she did. . .scared to death. . .Didn't slide until right at the bottom where she was to turn off onto a different road. . .She kept seeing the black pick-up waiting but she still went very very slow. . .Just at her turn her car slid a bit but she turned the wheel and the car stopped sliding. . .She looked back and the black pick-up truck was GONE. . .nowhere in sight. . .As she related what happened to her friend on the phone, the friend laughed and said it must have been an angel. . .

The next day at work as Anna was buying groceries, the cashier (a woman Anna knew from the church) asked Anna if she made it home alright the night before. . .Anna told her the story and the woman said, "That's INTERESTING". . .The cashier had two brothers, both had passed now from cancer, but one of them once lived in Alaska and bought a black pick-up when he moved to Oklahoma. . .He lived on such and such street--within two blocks of the icy hill. . .She said she carried their photo with her all time. . .pulled it out of her pocket and showed Anna, who gasped, "That's him!!!! That's the young man right there!!!!" pointing at one of her brothers. . .Then Anna told her what the friend had said--that he was an 'angel'. . .By now the cashier was crying. . .and I had chills and tears throughout the story myself. . ."